GreatCall Jitterbug5 Review

Easy to Use Phone with Safety Features and Services

The Jitterbug5 (yes, it’s spelled as one word) is the latest
in the line of easy to use flip phones from Greatcall. It features a new dedicated
5Star (one word again) button on the keypad and an upgraded Phonebook capacity,
while retaining everything else that makes this phone a compelling choice for many
people.

Dedicated 5Star Button

5Star is a safety service that gives you quick access to agents
who are certified by the NAED (National Academies of Emergency Dispatch). Once
you press the 5Star button to call them they are trained to get you the help you need. This service is also
available on all their other phones and also on their Jitterbug Splash and
Jitterbug 5Star emergency devices.

Greatcall must have noted the popularity of those devices and
decided to manufacture a new phone with a dedicated button programmed to call
that service. The 5Star service can also be neatly integrated with the Urgent
Care health service which features live nursing advice from real nurses trained
in telephone triage.

Upgraded Phonebook

Okay, this is a simple one. One of my own complaints about
previous Greatcall flip phones like the Plus and the J has been that the
phonebook could store only 50 phone numbers. I felt this was too low. Well,
that has finally changed. The phonebook on the Jitterbug5 can now store up to
200 phone numbers. That’s still not as much as other phones, but it’s probably
good enough for a lot of people and a whole lot better than what it was previously.

The method of browsing through the phonebook is still a
little tedious as you have to go through the contacts one-by-one. One way of
solving this problem is to install and use the (free) voice-dialing feature.
You can have the voice-dialing feature set up to activate when you open the
phone so you don’t have to bother going through the menu. Then when you flip
open the phone, you just say who you want to call.

Jitterbug5: Other Good Features

Text Messaging

Yes, you can text on a Jitterbug phone. You can send regular text messages, and it also comes with a set of pre-written messages for convenience.

Most of the other features are consistent with the previous
version of this phone, the Jitterbug Plus. It has a 1.3 megapixel camera, and you can share the
photos you take on Facebook if you want.

It has the same
easy-to-use interface.

It is designed to have a long battery life – up to 25 days
on standby. This is especially useful for those who don’t use their cell phone
a lot.

The speaker is designed to be loud so you can hear it ring,
however you can also turn the volume down to low or even just set it to
vibrate.

For those looking to for mental activity to stay
sharp, there are a couple of memory games – Make a Pair and Quick Match – to jog
your brain.

(Minor) Features Still Missing

Among the features I consider missing from this phone are a calculator
and an alarm. A basic calculator would be useful for those on a budget
especially when going shopping. A wake-up alarm would not only be useful but
also put the loud speaker on this phone to good use!

Still, these are minor quibbles.

Manual and Tutorials

You can find the Jitterbug5 manual here, though you probably won't need to refer to it much as the phone is, as noted earlier, "easy to use".

Conclusion

If
you want a reliable and easy-to-use phone with a dedicated button to contact safety
services, the Jitterbug5 would be a good choice. The handset is available in
three colors – red, white or blue.